Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“It may be that when the house of Judah hears of all the disasters that I intend to do to them, all of them may turn from their evil ways, so that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin.”
NL Daily Devotion for Sunday, November 22, 2020
by Dr. Kimberly Leetch, Clergy Stuff
Main Idea: God’s word has been written on our hearts. We are also charged with the task of letting God’s word inform our decisions and our actions.
Jeremiah was a prophet for God during the time of the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of Solomon’s temple. The people had fallen so far from God, that even a brief repentance under the reign of Josiah didn’t last beyond Josiah’s death. The people had turned to the gods of neighboring countries, even sacrificing their children to these false gods.
But God was not ready to give up on the people. God sent Jeremiah to proclaim destruction if the people would not return to the fold. Through Jeremiah’s scribe, Baruch, God sent word to King Jehoiakim, warning him to repent or be destroyed. As the scroll was being read, King Jehoiakim tore off pieces with his knife and burned them. Clearly, he had no regard for God or God’s word.
God would not be deterred. God proclaimed to Jeremiah that God’s word would one day be indestructible written not on a scroll, but on people’s hearts. It would be inscribed within them so that their hearts would beat God’s word, their lungs breathe it, and their lives live it. When this day would come, people wouldn’t need to be reminded to pay attention to God’s word. It would simply be part of who they are.
Christianity has become so prevalent a religion, that we might claim that we have reached that goal. We no longer need to be reminded of whose we are. God’s word is written not only on the hearts of God’s people, but into the fabric of modern society. Snippets of Bible verses have become so familiar, that even those not following God can quote them. The Golden Rule (Luke 6:31). “Love is patient, love is kind (1 Cor. 13:4a). “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it (Prov. 22:6). Adam and Eve sinning with the bite of a fruit (Genesis 3:6). Most people are at least familiar with these stories or images. Mission accomplished.
But, is it enough to know them, or are we charged with the task of living them, too?
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